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    <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
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    <copyright>Copyright © 2026. National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.</copyright>
    <docs>http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss</docs>
    <managingEditor>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</managingEditor>
    <webMaster>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</webMaster>
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      <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
      <url>https://rip.trb.org/Images/PageHeader-wTitle-RIP.jpg</url>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
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    <item>
      <title>National Accessibility Evaluation Phase II</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2703751</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project implements activities for the National Accessibility Evaluation (NAE) pooled-fund study, performing accessibility evaluations describing conditions in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. The National Accessibility Evaluation creates national census block-level accessibility datasets that can be used by partners in local transportation system evaluation, performance management, planning, and research efforts. The project produced a series of annual reports describing accessibility to jobs by driving, biking, walking, and by transit in metropolitan areas across America.

Accessibility calculations rely on detailed travel-time calculations for both driving and transit, using commercially available, global positioning system (GPS)-based speed measurements and published transit schedules. Each NAE partner received digital access to the accessibility datasets covering their jurisdictions. These datasets quantify access to jobs, health care, schools, grocery stores, and other essential destinations. The annual Access Across America reports provide summaries of the detailed job accessibility datasets for the 50 most populous metropolitan areas across America. These reports were released to national and local media outlets and supported by publicity and communications efforts.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 15 May 2026 15:29:13 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2703751</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Federal-Industry Waterway Governance Mapping</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2698370</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project will produce the first comprehensive governance map of the U.S. inland waterway system, documenting how federal agencies, waterway commissions, port authorities, operators, industry associations, and advisory bodies exercise authority, coordinate responsibilities, and influence decisions across planning, operations, maintenance, and emergency response. While the inland waterway system depends on a complex interplay of federal ownership, federally authorized navigation channels, industry-operated vessels, federally maintained locks and dams, state commissions, port authorities, cooperative working groups, and advisory committees, there is currently no resource that synthesizes this institutional architecture into a clear, accessible structure. The research will analyze agency documentation, statutory authorities, standing committee structures, and operational guidance, complemented by targeted interviews with practitioners, to clarify how decisions flow through the system and how organizations interact across routine and non-routine conditions. The final product will provide a governance map and a narrative analysis that identifies gaps, redundancies, and friction points in the institutional landscape. This work will support planners, policymakers, and operators and offer a foundational understanding of how governance arrangements shape reliability, resilience, and system performance.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 01 May 2026 19:58:47 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2698370</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Cybersecurity Analysis to Support Secure Transportation Cyber-Physical Systems</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2696948</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This project is designed to strengthen transportation cybersecurity in an era where artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled and AI-enhanced cybercrime is increasingly capable of scaling deception, automation, and attack sophistication against cyber-physical systems. The project builds directly on the team’s prior legislative gap analysis and the development of TraCR AI, a retrieval-augmented large language model that helps transportation officials and policy makers identify applicable legal obligations and compare regulatory approaches across jurisdictions. The central technical contribution is the development and testing of a modular defensive wrapper for transportation-focused large language model (LLM) and retrieval augmented generation (RAG) tools, intended to detect and mitigate adversarial attacks that exploit legal reasoning systems and to support a testbed for LLM-targeted cybercrime scenarios. In parallel, the project includes legal and policy research that assesses gaps in US frameworks for addressing AI-enabled cybercrime and draws on international examples to inform best practices for governance, enforcement, and secure deployment. The overall objective is to produce deployable defenses and practitioner-facing guidance that improve trustworthiness in AI-assisted compliance and policy analysis for critical transportation infrastructure.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:33:03 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2696948</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Lessons Learned on Mobility as a Service (MaaS): Exploring Opportunities and Barriers for the U.S. Context</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2696846</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Mobility as a Service (MaaS) packages can increase the popularity of alternatives to owning (and using) a personal vehicle, through the integration of multiple transportation services and options on the same platform. Several MaaS solutions have been proposed in Europe and other regions of the world. However, there is a dearth of research on MaaS in the US context. This study will be a starting point to fill that gap. In this study, the researchers will review MaaS experience from abroad and investigate the lessons learned on the way MaaS works, the various levels of integration possible on the MaaS platform, the type of transportation services that are offered, and the way (bundle) payments and fare integration are handled. The study will then build US-specific knowledge on the potential attractiveness of MaaS-type mobility packages through hosting focus group discussions with groups of travelers, to identify their potential openness to adopt MaaS services, the perceived benefits that would be derived from their use, and the characteristics that MaaS solutions should have to (eventually) be attractive among selected groups of US travelers. The findings from this study will help understand what realistic paths may exist to integrate public transit and shared mobility solutions to expand travel options in the US, and how effectively these options might encourage travelers to increase travel multimodality and reduce their reliance on the use of private vehicles. This study will serve as a starting point for developing future larger studies on MaaS in the US context.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 28 Apr 2026 11:03:21 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2696846</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Comprehensive Modeling and Analysis of Energy Options for the US Trucking Freight
Transportation: Stakeholder Behavior, Infrastructure Planning, and Local Impacts (Phase 2)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2684211</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Truck transportation is a vital component of the nation's economy, ensuring the efficient movement of goods across vast distances. Current energy policies emphasize unleashing domestic energy resources and streamlining regulatory frameworks to bolster economic growth and strengthen national security. Exploring all energy options for the trucking industry aligns with these objectives by potentially reducing logistics costs, enhancing national energy dominance, and supporting job creation within the transportation and energy sectors. To this end, a mixed-method approach will be employed to characterize and understand different energy options for the United States trucking freight sector. More specifically, this project investigates 1) stakeholder behavior in the adoption of different energy options in the US trucking sector; 2) national-level infrastructure planning and economic analysis for trucking energy production and distribution, and system evolution dynamics; and 3) local impacts of the adoption of different energy options by the US trucking sector. This project dovetails with the Center for Freight Transportation for Efficient and Resilient Supply Chain (FERSC) goal of maintaining the US economic competitiveness and security.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 25 Mar 2026 17:33:34 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2684211</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Mid-America Freight Coalition (MAFC) Phase 5</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2683017</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Mid-America Freight Coalition (MAFC) pooled fund began in 2006 to support collaboration, innovation, and development in freight planning, freight policy, and operations across the 10-state Mid America Association of State Transportation Officials (MAASTO) region (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin). The Coalition’s operations are founded and guided by the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the Board of Directors of MAASTO and the University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison.
The MAFC’s major emphasis areas support advances in multimodal freight planning practices, freight operations and technology, and freight policy, all in a collaborative framework. Importantly, the emphasis areas are determined by the participating state professionals. The work is completed in service to both the states and the region, as well as towards advancing national freight planning priorities throughout the MAASTO region. The projects and activities of the MAFC support critical linkages between freight movement and services, as well as economic and community development. The freight coordination of the MAASTO region can provide guidance and identify best practices at a national level relating to multistate coordination of freight activities and in support of goals within the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
This solicitation is for the fifth iteration of the MAFC pooled fund. Previous iterations were TPF-5 (156), TPF-5 (293), TPF-5 (396), and TPF-5 (509).
OBJECTIVES: The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) seeks to continue leadership of a pooled fund that will: Provide guidance and solutions for state-defined freight-related research; Support the IIJA’s goals through multistate collaboration in freight policy, facility development, and operations harmonization; Improve cross-state freight-related coordination and facility development; Increase awareness of the importance of freight transportation to support state, regional, and national economies; Serve as a freight-oriented professional resource to the states; Provide freight-oriented professional development resources and peer to peer networking; Maintain and expand the region’s reputation as freight friendly.

]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 19 Mar 2026 09:48:53 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2683017</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Advanced Mobility Innovation Lab (AMIL) and Beyond</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2666833</link>
      <description><![CDATA[As the United States navigates the Fourth Industrial Revolution - defined by the convergence of physical, digital, and biological technologies - STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education has become increasingly vital to preparing students for the future workforce. Transportation, a sector undergoing rapid technological transformation, is deeply intertwined with STEM and plays a critical role in shaping economic development, public safety, and access to essential services. Yet, many K-12 students, particularly in rural areas, lack exposure to high-quality STEM learning opportunities.  The Advanced Mobility Innovation Lab (AMIL) was established through funding from the CR2C2 REE program to address this gap by providing portable, hands-on STEM experiences that fuse transportation technology demonstrations with project-based learning. This project will expand AMIL’s effort in projects R-EWD-1 and R-EWD-2, and increases the reach and impact by partnering with the University of Alabama’s robust K–12 STEM Education Outreach program, creating a collaborative model for multi-university engagement and STEM education. Together, these programs will deliver enriched STEM experiences that emphasize emerging transportation technologies, autonomous systems, and the STEM principles behind their development and operation. The initiative will culminate in two regional events - one in Alabama and one in North Carolina - featuring autonomous vehicle demonstrations and showcasing student learning outcomes.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 11 Mar 2026 15:46:44 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2666833</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Micromobility Decision-Making Atlas</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2669653</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This work will examine how U.S. micromobility users make everyday travel and safety decisions. Participants will be identified from two experience groups: riders who integrate e-scooters or e-bikes with public transit and those who substitute them for car trips. Situated within the broader mixed-methods design, this project builds directly on the “Healthy Micromobility: Moving from Crisis to Opportunity” pilot project. It will provide explanatory depth on the psychosocial and contextual mechanisms that shape micromobility use and user safety. These findings will also inform the system-level analyses by clarifying how user experiences and perceptions translate into behavioral, safety, operations, and other relevant outcomes.   

A micromobility decision-making atlas will be designed to serve as a current, comprehensive database of local micromobility regulations and policy environments across U.S. jurisdictions, providing an updated and more detailed successor to existing resources such as the Shared-Use Mobility Center’s Policy Atlas. The atlas would compile and standardize policy data from the environmental scans, allowing users to explore and compare domains such as fleet management, parking, speed limits, and accessibility provisions. An optional infrastructure layer could incorporate indicators of supportive design conditions, such as protected lane coverage or PeopleForBikes Bicycle Network Analysis scores, to contextualize how local infrastructure aligns with policy intent.  ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sun, 15 Feb 2026 16:30:25 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2669653</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Enabling Mobility for Older Adults in the US</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2669552</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Driving is essential for the preservation of functional independence for older adults, yet there is a growing number of older adult drivers with comorbid health conditions that might impair their ability to drive safely. Older adult drivers are overrepresented in motor vehicle crash deaths and injuries, which is a major public health concern. The purpose of this project is to (1) develop a comprehensive understanding of the mobility needs and challenges of older adults in the United States, and (2) develop an innovative tool to extend their safety while they drive.  

Aim 1: Develop a comprehensive understanding of the mobility needs and challenges of older adults  

To develop a comprehensive understanding of the mobility needs of older adults, the research team will analyze data from a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults aged 65 and older. The survey contains a comprehensive set of questions that explore driving behavior, transportation options, mobility limitations, and attitudes toward future transportation technologies and policies among adults aged 65 and older.   

Aim 2: Develop an innovative tool to extend their safety while they drive.  

The goal of this project is to understand older adults’ perceptions of an app (StreetCoach) that provides a driving score based on actual driving behavior. A number of apps exist for older adult drivers but the perceptions of older drivers towards their driving score is poorly understood. This study will use a sequential explanatory research design by asking 10 older adults to download and use the app for 60 days. Following this, the research team will conduct in-depth interviews with the participants to gain an understanding of their perception and interpretation of their telematics score, and what factors might motivate them to change their driving to improve the score.   ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 12 Feb 2026 15:16:36 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2669552</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Wildlife Fencing Effectiveness in Reducing Crashes in the Western US</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2655748</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Research from a recent past study with data only from Utah identified the benefit-cost for installing wildlife fencing. Wildlife fencing projects are currently justified and determined for potential safety funding using only crash history and assumptions of the crash reduction and benefit of installing wildlife fencing. An expanded-scope research project to include data from other western states (Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and Nevada) will help quantify the reduction in crashes from installing wildlife fencing, providing a better comparison of safety benefit as compared to other safety projects and providing much better justification for when wildlife fencing installation is a worthy expenditure of safety funds, particularly federal funds that require a positive benefit-cost ratio.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 19 Jan 2026 08:33:19 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2655748</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Quick-Response Research on Long-Term Strategic Issues. Task 56. Student Fare Programs to Increase Ridership</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2636148</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Public transportation agencies across the U.S. have implemented student fare and pass programs in order to broaden their ridership base and provide new agency revenue streams. There exist a wide variety of programs and fare offerings for both university and secondary students, with different goals and funding sources.  Research suggests that exposure to high-quality transit in one’s 20s and 30s increases the likelihood of using transit later in life. Encouraging transit use by students can have positive long-term ridership impacts for the entire transit industry. 
TCRP Synthesis 131 examined university pass programs in a limited way in 2018. Since then, many more agencies have adopted these programs. Student fare programs vary widely depending on transit market, regional operating structure, fare systems, and types of institutions served.
Public transit agencies seeking to adopt new student fare programs or expand an existing program face uncertainty regarding costs, program feasibility, impacts on ridership and operations, and overall benefits. Research into the wide variety of student fare programs would assist in these evaluations.
The objective of this research is to provide information to assist transit agencies and policymakers in adopting and expanding student fare programs. The study should: Examine student fare programs at agencies and in regions of varying sizes, serving a range of student populations (secondary, community college, university, etc.); Examine funding mechanisms for student fare programs; Identify successful partnership models between transit agencies, and between agencies, schools and higher education; Evaluate program successes in terms of ridership impacts and travel behavior changes; Evaluate the operational impacts and challenges of student fare programs; Investigate transit operator/other worker perspectives; Assess opportunities and challenges for scaling student fare programs in different types of communities (urban, suburban, rural).]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 08 Dec 2025 20:08:55 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2636148</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Funding and Financing for Public Transportation at the Local, Regional, and State Levels



</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2636145</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The objective of this research is to develop a resource that presents and analyzes current and emerging options for operating and capital funding and financing for public transportation services in the United States. The resource should address local, regional, and state funding and financing options for the near- and long-term and serve large, medium, and small public transportation agencies in urban and rural areas. The primary audience for this resource includes public transportation agencies and relevant stakeholders. The resource should address: (1) Update TCRP Report 129. What has evolved regarding public transportation funding and financing during the past 20 years. More specifically, What are trends in how public transportation is funded and financed? 
What factors drive different trends? Based on the typology presented in TCRP Report 129, which options were widely pursued and implemented over the last 20 years, and what were the key strengths and shortcomings of these options? What new and emerging funding and financing options exist, and which options have not been widely adopted? (2) Funding shortfalls. How are shortfalls in capital and operating funding affecting public transportation agencies in the United States?  How are funding shortfalls being mitigated and what lessons have been learned from the post-COVID “fiscal cliff”? (3) Local and regional support for public transportation.  What is the range of local and regional funding mechanisms, and how do these mechanisms relate to the characteristics of different areas? (4) State options for public transportation funding and financing.  How do states differ in their current roles and in the opportunities they provide for funding and financing public transportation? (5) Partnership opportunities.  How can public transportation agencies develop and leverage partnerships to expand funding and financing options for public transportation? What public and private funding and financing approaches have been identified and secured for public transportation? (6) Implementation strategies. What analyses and communication strategies have public transportation agencies used to demonstrate the impacts of funding shortfalls and the need for funding? Given limitations on directly advocating for funding, how can public transportation agencies navigate funding discussions to maintain existing funding sources and secure new ones?  How can state and national associations communicate with and educate stakeholders about the need for increased and more stable funding and financing for public transportation?]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 08 Dec 2025 19:55:17 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2636145</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Regional Disparities in Work Zone Crashes: Understanding Factors and Predictive Modeling for Targeted Safety Measures
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2627354</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Roadway work zones play a vital role in maintaining and improving infrastructure, yet they often expose workers and drivers to dangerous situations, leading to concerning frequencies of occupational and traffic accidents in the United States. With over 700 fatalities and thousands of injuries annually attributed to work zone crashes, efforts to enhance safety have been hindered by the complexity and variability of contributing factors. The escalating fatalities, coupled with growing infrastructure demands in U.S. Department of Transportation Region 7—encompassing Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas—underscore the imperative to address underlying causes and improve work zone safety. This study aims to address this persistent issue by analyzing work zone crash data in Region 7 and comparing it with other regions to identify influential factors. By leveraging recurrent neural networks (RNNs) to develop region-specific predictive models, the research seeks to forecast crash occurrences and provide targeted insights for policymakers and transportation authorities. Ultimately, the research aims to deepen understanding of regional disparities in work zone crash dynamics, enabling effective resource prioritization and implementation of tailored safety measures. The development of predictive models using RNNs holds promise for enhancing proactive safety planning and resource allocation, ultimately contributing to a nationwide reduction in work zone crashes and advancing the overarching goal of improving road safety for workers and motorists.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 19 Nov 2025 15:35:55 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2627354</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Investing in Talent for Next-Generation Transportation Engineering
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2627155</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Recent federal investments in infrastructure necessitate a surge in transportation engineering graduates, yet recruitment and retention pose challenges due to mismatches between job supply and degree pursuits, compensation, benefits, and work-life balance. Research by the Northeast Transportation Workforce Center and National Transportation Career Pathways Initiative highlights these issues, but gaps remain in state department of transportation (DOT) strategies. Moreover, there is a pressing need for diversity in the engineering workforce to reflect the United States demographics. This research aligns with the Mid-America Transportation Center (MATC) focus on education and workforce development, aiming to enhance workforce diversity, which is crucial for inclusive transportation planning and safety. The purpose of this study is to explore the age gap within state transportation engineering jobs. The following research question will be addressed: In what ways do state departments of transportation in the midwestern United States attract or detract new engineers to state transportation engineering jobs based on current policy structures?
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 19 Nov 2025 14:58:25 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2627155</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Synthesis of Information Related to Airport Practices. Topic S01-33. Practices for Determining Landing Fees at General Aviation Airports</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2621998</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Airports across the United States face increasing pressure to develop sustainable funding sources while maintaining fair and competitive pricing strategies. Landing fees represent a significant potential source of revenue, yet there is little consistency in how these fees are established or structured. Non-primary and non-hub airport sponsors do not have a standard way to determine general aviation landing fee schedules that balance operational and capital costs, market competitiveness, and stakeholder expectations. Recent ACRP reports have addressed topics related to airport operations and finance, but not specifically the determination of general aviation landing fees at non-primary and non-hub airport sponsors. Other industry research tends to focus on commercial service airports or on general airport funding strategies without a detailed examination of landing fee methodologies. This synthesis will focus on the unique considerations and challenges faced by non-primary and non-hub airport sponsors.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this synthesis is to document practices for determining and implementing general aviation landing fees levied by non-primary and non-hub airport sponsors. The audience for this synthesis is airport sponsors.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 10 Nov 2025 19:25:41 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2621998</guid>
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